WREXHAM'S promising start to the season - one victory and one draw - has been slightly overshadowed by the horrendous injury suffered by Waynne Phillips at Glanford Park.

WREXHAM'S promising start to the season - one victory and one draw - has been slightly overshadowed by the horrendous injury suffered by Waynne Phillips at Glanford Park.

I'm not sure what the 31-year-old has done to warrant his astonishing run of bad luck, but it shows no sign of abating. After his ill-fated move to Stockport, where he played only a handful of games in two years, he has suffered long-term injury after long-term injury.

It looked like things couldn't get any worse when his wages were halved and he was put on a month-by-month contract, but they did, only six minutes into the new season. The irony of course is that after all his misfortune, he had forced himself into the starting line-up at Scunthorpe - ahead of players who are on permanent deals.

The fact that supporters are now sending messages of sympathy and commiseration to Phillips via the club's official website would seem to say it all. Waynne's world has come crashing down - and he now needs all the support he can get to re-launch his career some time down the line.

The other interesting aspect of the Phillips episode is the involvement of Mark Guterman. Last weekend the new chairman was quick to confirm that the player would, after all, be receiving a year-long contract to ease his financial concerns. It is curious that, in the end, the Reds no.16 won a deal as a result of injury, rather than on-field performance, but given his track record when it comes to fate and fortune, it was the very least he deserved.

On the whole, football chairmen get a bad press, but Guterman's contract offer does help to restore one's faith in the integrity of the people who run the game. It was a spontaneous and very humanitarian gesture, and although it certainly wasn't his intention, it has won him many plaudits.

For instance, on the various online messageboards, Dragons fans have been fulsome in their praise: "That's a nice touch from the chairman"... "Glad to see Guterman is doing the right thing and standing by Waynne" ... "That's brilliant of him" ... "Well done, Mr Chairman, it's the least Waynne deserves" ... "Putting Phillips on the scrapheap would have been too much, but I bet some clubs would have done it and said there was nothing they could do. Well done MG."

In fact, it would not be exaggerating things to say that the new chairman has played a blinder since he arrived at the club over the summer.

In the space of a few months he has taken care of players' unpaid wages, enabled the manager to sign both Andy Dibble and Lee Jones, and now eased Phillips' monetary worries at a very difficult time.

Not only this, but Guterman has also shown himself to be both visible and approachable. He was, for example, in attendance at both the Colwyn Bay and Witton Albion friendlies - and mingling happily with Reds supporters on both occasions.

It may be too early to call him a saviour, but he is most definitely a top man.